Alisha Lehmann has returned to England, signing with Leicester City in the FA Women’s Super League after spending the first half of the 2025-26 season with Como Women, one of the two independent clubs in Italy’s Serie A. Her Italian spell lasted a year and a half: two goals with Juventus, and one with Como – a decisive strike against Inter in Matchday 3 of the Serie A Women’s Cup. Numbers alone don’t tell the full story, but they raise the question: can her Italian experience be considered a failure?
A Controversial Transfer From the Start
As reported by journalist Mauro Munno last season, Alisha Lehmann was not originally part of Juventus Women’s technical plans. Her arrival became possible only when Juventus’ men’s team negotiated the signing of Douglas Luiz – then Lehmann’s partner – and included her transfer as part of the broader operation. The media reaction was unprecedented for a women’s football signing in Italy. Major outlets covered her arrival with a level of attention that players of far greater pedigree – such as Saki Kumagai or Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir – never received.
Within the women’s football community, the perception was clear: Juventus wanted Lehmann more for her 30 million combined followers on TikTok and Instagram than for her on‑field profile. The timing reinforced that impression. The club launched the TikTok account shortly after her arrival, and within months – thanks to Lehmann’s visibility – the club overtook Arsenal’s profile by a wide margin. When she later moved to Como, Munno noted that she had contributed roughly +1.7 million followers on TikTok and +253,000 on Instagram. A remarkable digital impact, but arguably the worst possible metric by which to remember a player.
A Difficult First Season: Bad Luck and Missed Chance
Alisha Lehmann’s first year in Italy was shaped by circumstances that didn’t help her. Juventus were in a transitional phase, eager to bounce back, and even players who had struggled previously – such as Lindsey Thomas – managed to produce some solid performances. Lehmann, instead, found it harder to convert her chances.
Sassuolo aside, she struggled to make a tangible impact, and two costly mistakes against Milan and Verona further complicated her path toward a stable place in the starting XI. At the same time, the clubs that signed her contributed to the perception that she was primarily an image-driven acquisition. She appeared in countless posts, reels, and promotional materials – everywhere except on the pitch.
The Como Chapter: A Bench That Raises Questions
Her move to Como Women was supposed to offer a fresh start, yet she found herself on the bench more often than expected. And while it is surprising to see a player of her profile sidelined, the reality is harsh.
She decided only one match – and it came in a cup competition rather than in the league – while in the key moments of the season teammates such as Kramžar, Kerr, and Nischler proved more decisive and better integrated into the team’s dynamics. As a result, Lehmann struggled to carve out a consistent role within the tactical structure, finding herself increasingly on the margins of the starting plans.
In short, she arrived in Italy at a time when players in her position were performing better, more integrated, and more suited to the system. It’s unfortunate that she often sat behind players who were not necessarily stronger, but she also didn’t show enough to justify being ahead of them.
The Tactical Argument
There is, however, a broader tactical context that matters. The English game is faster, more vertical, and offers more space. Even without explosive acceleration, a player can still find room to create actions simply through movement and intensity. Italy is different. Serie A often operates at a slower rhythm, with tighter defensive structures. If you don’t have a sharp change of pace or the ability to break lines quickly, expressing your game becomes harder.
Then comes the psychological side. Regular playing time allows a player to build confidence even on off days: it encourages risk‑taking, initiative, and the freedom to attempt actions with the mindset that the outcome is secondary to the willingness to try. When minutes become scarce, the opposite dynamic emerges.
Players tend to grow conservative, aware that every mistake may jeopardize their already limited opportunities. Even someone accustomed to external pressure – as Alisha Lehmann undoubtedly is – can find herself caught in this cycle, where reduced trust leads to reduced expression, and reduced expression further limits trust.
So, Did She Fail?
Labeling Alisha Lehmann’s Italian spell as a “failure” is simplistic, but it’s undeniable that:
- she never became a key player;
- she struggled to adapt tactically;
- she was often used more as a marketing asset than as a footballer;
- she didn’t earn enough trust to secure consistent minutes;
- she left without leaving a significant sporting legacy, while consistently giving 100% of her professionalism.
At the same time, her return to England suggests that clubs still believe in her potential – and that the Italian environment may simply not have been the right fit. Her 18 months in Italy were a mix of mismanagement, tactical mismatch, and missed opportunities. Not a failure in absolute terms, but certainly an experience that never became what it could have been.
